Camphene-lamp



J. NEWELL.

Lamp Burn'er. No. 10,099. Patented Oct. 4, 1853.

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UNITEIE JOHN NEWVELL, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

CAMPHENE-LAIVIP.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known-that I, JOHN NEwnLL, of Boston, in the Commonwealth ofh/Iassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful improvements inlamps constructed for burning camphene, burning fluids, &c., withoutdanger of explosion, and also in cans, lamp-feeders, and other vesselsfor containing camphene, burning fluid, &c.; and I do hereby declarethat the following is a full and exact description of my inventions andimprovements.

I make use of a lamp of any form or size which may be made of glass,porcelain or metal. I put in a brass, copper or tinned iron tube orcylinder from the top of the lamp, and of a size filled to the orifice,reaching to within one eighth of an inch more or less of the insidebottom of the lamp. 011 the upper end of this tube, is cut a femalescrew, as in common lamps, to receive the male screw of the top, whichcontains the wick tube. I perforate the tube with numerous small holesof a diameter small enough to prevent the transmission of flameaccording to the principle of Davys safety lamp. On the bottom of thistube I solder or braze a piece of brass, copper or iron wire gauze tocover the entire bottom, the fineness of the gauze to be about sixteenhundred meshes to the square inch. On the inside of the flanch of thetop of the lamp containing the wick tube, I cut a screw for the purposeof screwing on another tube as large as can be made and put in and notinterfere with the inside of the other tube. This tube to go down theinside of the other to within an eighth of an inch of the bottom of theother tube; on the bottom of this tube, I likewise solder or braze apiece of wire gauze similar to the other before described. This tube,which is also perforated in a similar manner to the other, contains thewick or wicks and must be taken out when it is necessary to fill thelamp.

Instead of making the tubes of perforated brass or other metal, Imorefrequently construct both tubes of brass, copper or iron wire gauze likethat above described. The lamp is constructed in this form for thepurpose of preventing the communication of flame to the interior of thelamp upon the principle of Davys safety lamps and for preventingexplosions of the vapor formed within the lamp from camphene, burningfluid &c., but I do not claim any part of the above construction. Theimprovements which I have made are applicable to all lamps in whichperforated metal and brass copper or iron wire gauze are used for thepurpose of preventing explosions.

When a lamp constructed as above described having safety tubes ofperforated brass, copper or tinned iron, or of brass, copper or ironwire gauze, which are the only materials which can be ordinarily used onaccount of the expense, is filled with camphene or burning fluid, theaction of the fluid upon the metal and particularly upon brass orcopper, in a short time produces a corrosion of the metal, which causesthe interstices of the wire gauze or the perforations of the metal to befilled up, and thereby impedes the flow of the fluid to the wick.Moreover a portion of the metal thus corroded is dissolved and becomesunited with the fluid. This in a few hours acts upon the wick and thusmaterially impedes the flow of the fluid and checks the combustion, sothat a lamp thus constructed and without the application of myimprovement in a short time becomes wholly useless. To obviate thisdifiiculty, I cover all the metal on the inside of the lamp, with whichthe fluid comes in contact, including the perforated metal and wiregauze, with a thin coating of silver, which may be put on by the processof galvanizing or plating, and which adds but little to the expense ofthe lamp. The coating of silver upon the metal or wire gauze preventsall corrosion of the metal and removes all objections to theconstruction of the lamp as above described. I also cover with silverthe wire gauze placed in cans and other vessels used for containingcamphene, burning fluid, &c., for the purpose of preventing theadmission of flame to the contents of the cans or vessels.

For the purpose of giving additional safety to lamps constructed mainlyas abovedescribed, or in which the perforated metal or wire gauze isused in the interior of the lamp for preventing explosions, I have in,

vented an improvement which I claim as new, and which I will proceed todescribe.

I perforate the cap of the lamp (A) through which the wick tubes passwith several holes (8, 8,) as small at least as the interstices of thewire gauze above described, and so small as not to admit thecommunication of flame through them. I place these holes in the cap ofthe lamp for the purpose of allowing the constant escape of the vaporformed within the lamp from the camphene, burning fluid, &c., whichvapor has a pressure much above that of the atmosphere, and may beincreased by heated surfaces. I. thereby prevent all danger of thebursting of the lamp by the pressure of the vapor.

WVhat I claim as my invention and improvement and desire to secure byLetters Patent is l. The silvering of the perforated metal or brasscopper or iron Wire gauze used in safety lamps and cans or other vesselsdesigned to prevent explosions from the vapor of camphene burning fluid,&c., the silvering being applied for the purpose of preventing thecorrosion of the metal or Wire gauze as described by the most economicalprocess.

2. The combination of perforations as above described in the caps oflamps used for burning camphene, burning fluid, 620., so small as not toadmit the communication of flame through them for the purpose ofallowing the escape of the vapor formed Within the lamp, from camphene,burning fluid, &c., and thereby preventing the bursting of the lamps bythe pressure of the vapor.

I do not claim the use of any perforations in lamps for burning campheneburning fluid, &c., except such as are constructed so as to prevent thepassage of flame on the principle of Sir Humphrey Davys discoveryrelative to the passage of flame through erforated metal.

JOHN NEWELL.

Witnesses JOHN L. HAYES, Mrs. BIDDLE VAN ZANDT.

